Help protect local communities before flu season peaks

With flu season typically peaking from June to September, primary care providers across Central Queensland, Wide Bay and the Sunshine Coast are encouraged to continue promoting free flu vaccination to eligible patients and local communities.

Queensland Health’s latest Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance Report recorded 9,132 lab-confirmed influenza notifications across Queensland, including 920 hospital admissions.1

Locally, influenza notifications for the year to date include:1

• 420 in Central Queensland HHS
• 303 in Wide Bay HHS
• 583 in Sunshine Coast HHS.

Free flu vaccines are available for Queenslanders aged 6 months and older until 30 September 2026, including through general practices, pharmacies and other community immunisation providers.

Primary care providers can use this 2026 flu campaign kit to access ready-to-use resources that support vaccination promotion at your practice and other care settings, particularly for people at higher risk of serious illness, including:

• babies from 6 months of age and young children
• older people aged 65 years or older
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• people who are pregnant
• people with chronic health conditions

There is no change for people eligible to receive a free influenza vaccine under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). They should continue to receive a NIP-funded vaccine as usual.

Provider reimbursement

Providers can seek reimbursement for eligible influenza vaccines administered between 1 March and 30 September 2026, check eligiblity.

For influenza vaccines administered to people who are not eligible under the National Immunisation Program or the Queensland-funded FluMist program, providers can claim reimbursement for privately purchased and administered vaccines.

Queensland Health has also extended the age for the FluMist program from 2-5 year olds to 2-17 year olds, for children who struggle with getting a needle.

Providers should check Queensland Health’s reimbursement guidance for full eligibility and claiming information.